Juhana Heikonen

Doctoral Researcher

Aalto University

In the current project, Mr Heikonen will produce 3D reconstructions of several Roman houses for the analysis of building and space functions and their variation. The reconstructions will be utilized by other team members in the contextualization of their findings.

The field of 3D CAD-modeling is a relatively new area of archeology. It can basically be divided to two parts: inventory-modeling of the existing and reconstruction-modeling. The latter one is obviously made with the help of the first one. With the help of CAD-models the area of survey and its data can be more easily controlled and subdivided in to various pre-set categories (stratigraphy, type etc.). Based on this information the CAD-reconstruction models can be created. The reconstructions can for example be sequence reconstructions as he has personally been doing in the Professor Margareta Steinbys Lacus Iuturnae-project in Rome. The aim has been to make sense of the sites complicated development and ever changing nature during a period of more than 2000 years. The overlapping stratigraphic data would otherwise be too complicated to understand and present. The second aim has been to speculate on the nature of the different building phases.

In his own MA thesis ” San Clemente in Rome – A Fifth Century Basilica as a Reconstruction Within a Roman Typology” he studied the typological and functional development of the basilica in Rome by digitalizing the existing archaeological data, aerial photos and maps starting from the 15th century to create a reconstruction model of the church itself in accordance of its surroundings. The development considered the change from a secular function (market place, court room as mentioned by Vitruvius, auction place etc.) to an ecclesiastical function. The reconstructions of the church were done in three different versions which started with a simplified version of what most certainly existed, moving in to a more detailed and speculative version to create an “artists impression” how the building might have looked like in the beginning of the 5th century according to relative literal and archaeological evidence of the same time in Italy (Liber Pontificalis inventories of donations, Paulinus Nolanus letters, 15th century drawings of lost frescos and Opus Sectile work, excavated church textiles etc.).

He will continue with the same subject as his PhD thesis broadening the scope of St Clement’s building history to the earlier and less known building phases.